The Meteor Shower Advent
by IAteAButterfly
Summary: **Season 7 Finale Spoilers Contained Within** The summer after the finale. Amy POV.
1. Chapter 1

_August 2014_

Amy was alone on the rooftop of her boyfriend's apartment building, peering through the telescope that Raj had set up much earlier in the night in anticipation of the annual Perseids meteor shower.

It was very late now; certainly past midnight. Raj and the others had long since drifted back downstairs, more than likely pairing off and going their separate ways, but Amy remained. She had nowhere else to be, and no one to be with. It had been this way for several months now, and she was only just beginning to get used to it.

Despite her melancholy, Amy couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she tilted her head back and caught another glimpse of the celestial fireworks lighting up the night sky.

She wondered if right now, somewhere in East Texas, Sheldon was watching too.

As the latest shower of star-stuff winked out on the horizon, a car engine sounded on the street below, and Amy's smile slowly faded as she came back to herself with a sigh.

Perhaps it was time to go home.

From six stories up, Amy saw a yellow cab turn the corner and come to a halt across the street from 2311 Los Robles. After a moment, a lone figure emerged from the back, hoisting a duffel bag over his shoulder. The stranger's slim build was achingly familiar, and Amy looked away quickly, reaching for the light jacket she'd discarded earlier.

As she slipped it back on in preparation to depart, she glanced once more down into the street, just as the man from the cab stepped into the glow of a street lamp. In the few seconds before he disappeared from view, Amy catalogued not only the slim build, but also dark hair and a two toned beige jacket.

She gasped, and leaned far over the ledge, trying to catch another glimpse of him before he disappeared inside the building far below her. It was too late though – his long strides had quickly carried him out of view.

Amy straightened up and stood still for several moments, her heart hammering as she tried to talk herself down.

"It's not him, Amy," she said out loud. "Stop this now. He would have told you if he was ready to come home."

This was certainly not the first time over the long summer that she'd thought she'd spotted Sheldon, only for it to turn out to be a stranger.

Even so, her hands were trembling and her feet were carrying her toward the door, back inside, and then down in the shadows of the empty staircase. The building was silent around her, but as she approached the fourth floor landing, she heard a jingle of keys and then the thump of something hitting the ground.

She swallowed hard as she turned the corner, knowing now but not quite yet _believing_, and then she was looking at him.

Or rather, she was looking at his back, as he jiggled the doorknob of apartment 4A and gave a sigh of exasperation when his key didn't work.

"He changed the locks," Amy spoke up, her trembling voice seeming very loud in the stillness.

Sheldon sucked in his breath, his hand freezing on the knob, before he slowly turned to face her.

And it was her turn to hold her breath, seeing him up close and personal for the first time in months. His familiar blue eyes were shadowed, as were his cheeks and chin with just a hint of five o'clock shadow.

He looked so much the same, and yet – and yet –

"Why?" he breathed.

It took her a moment to realize what he was asking.

"Penny lost his key," she said.

Sheldon was staring at her in a way that was… brand new. Of course, they'd never been apart this long before, but there was something else about the way he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her that both unnerved and thrilled her.

He wasn't quite the Sheldon she'd known, she realized, watching him watch her. He was… changed.

"Did you come from Penny's?" he asked quietly, pulling his hand slowly from the doorknob as he took a step toward her.

She shook her head slightly. "From the roof. I was watching the Perseids."

A dozen different emotions seemed to flit across his face in the span of time it took him to come to a halt in front of her.

"I've been at your apartment," he said. "I wanted to surprise you."

She stiffened in surprise. "How long were you...?"

A small smile crossed his tired face. "A couple of hours. Of course you were here; I should have guessed. Raj and his star parties. Is everyone up there?"

Amy shook her head. "Just me. They all left hours ago. I'm sure they're asleep by now."

He nodded slightly, his eyes still roving over her face. There was a hunger in his gaze that she'd seen only once before, right after he'd kissed her on Valentine's Day, only this time it was… amplified. Charged.

From his most recent emails, far and few between as they were, she'd known this was coming.

She just hadn't realized how simultaneously thrilling and terrifying and wonderful it would be to experience it in the flesh.

_Amy_, he'd written to her just a week ago, _in an interesting paradox, the longer I remain in my childhood home_, _the less like a child I feel. It's so easy to regress (although some have suggested I never had very far backward to go in that regard_, _and by "some" I mean my exasperating sister Missy) when in the presence of one's exceedingly nurturing mother_; _and while I did briefly fall victim to this during the first weeks of my stay here_, _empirical evidence now suggests that_ _this brief regression prompted something of a latent adolescence and an accelerating desire to rejoin my old life. My mother_, _of course, has been up to all of her old tricks, reverse psychology among them, but rather than fall for them outright as in the past, or inversely, call her out on her hackneyed approach, I seem to have adopted a kind of weary affectation of her effectiveness, if you'll excuse the alliteration._

_Playing out my role in this household_, _I become increasingly aware of just how much I am indeed "playing." _

_Amy_, _during my months of self-imposed exile here in the seventh circle of hell that is small town Texas in summer_, _I have come to several significant realizations. Although I have no intention of enumerating these realizations to you here in this highly impersonal medium_, _I do feel inclined to let you know that you factor largely into them all. _

_And_ _I will admit to missing you_, _Amy Farrah Fowler. And to thinking about you entirely too much. I will refer you back to the aforementioned "latent adolescence" and allow you to draw your own conclusions from there._

Amy had indeed drawn her own conclusions. She suspected now, watching as her boyfriend edged close enough to her that the toes of his shoes bumped into hers, that her conclusions had been spot-on.


	2. Chapter 2

Sheldon studied her with the kind of single-minded intensity she'd only ever seen direct at his white board, when he used it to puzzle out the principal mysteries of the universe. As she watched, he seemed to come to a decision, and gave a small nod.

"No use beating around the bush," he said abruptly. "Amy, while I was away, I came to the realization that your presence is… necessary… in my life."

Amy's mouth formed the word _oh_, but her voice seemed to have evaporated. Sheldon waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"I should qualify that. Obviously, I am capable of functioning without you, just as you are clearly quite capable of functioning without me." Sheldon cleared his throat, and when he spoke again his voice was much softer. "However… in the grander scheme of my life, your continued presence is something that I have realized I find essential to pursuing my ambitions, both as a scientist and as a… a man."

Amy sucked in a breath. She had never heard Sheldon refer to himself in that way before – _Homo Novus_, obviously; enlightened species, certainly, but mere mortal? Flesh and blood male? Certainly not.

"I feel the same," she whispered. "I have for… quite some time now."

He nodded, closing his eyes briefly. "Yes. You have been moving at a far greater velocity in our relationship for some time now. I have always been aware of this, and for much of our relationship I found this disparity extremely unsettling." He opened his eyes. "I still do, but only because I now feel inclined to 'catch up,' as it were."

"We seemed to be… headed down that path, before you left," Amy said softly.

Sheldon sighed. "In some respects, yes," he said. "I think that, had certain events not transpired, we would be continuing to make progress along that trajectory. But…" here he trailed off, licking his lips. "I have an awareness now that I did not before I left. And I don't know that I would have been as deserving of you now, had I not had that understanding." He shook his head in some embarrassment. "Lord. At the risk of sounding like a hippie… I needed to figure some things out about myself, before I would be of any use to you, Amy Farrah Fowler."

At last she found herself smiling.

He gave her a tiny smile back… one that quickly fell once she started to cry.

"I'm sorry," she gasped, wiping at her face with the back of her hand. "I'm just… um, sleep deprived, and overwhelmed, and I still can't quite believe you're really standing here saying these things, Sheldon. Am I dreaming?"

He reached for her at last, squeezing her hands and swallowing hard. "Please don't cry, Amy. You are not dreaming, although considering the late hour, had you been ensconced in your bed, you certainly would have achieved REM sleep by now."

Amy sniffled. "It is quite late, indeed," she admitted. Her eyes were burning, both from her tears and lack of sleep.

They studied each other in silence for a moment.

"You should get home," Sheldon finally murmured, though he made no move to release her hands or step away. He took a deep breath. "Amy… as I will be unable to gain ingress to my apartment without rousing Leonard and Penny, perhaps I could accompany you back to yours. I… find myself not willing to let you out of my sight quite yet, and if you are be amenable to the idea, I would like to also adjourn any further discussion until tomorrow after we have both gotten a solid eight hours of sleep."

Amy nodded slowly, fighting back another wave of tears. "I am amenable," she replied softly.

He nodded in return. "Good," he murmured.

He let her go long enough to pick up the duffel bag at his feet, and then reached for her again, this time to usher her ahead of him down the stairs with a hand resting possessively on her lower back.


	3. Chapter 3

Amy awoke to bright sunlight streaming through her bedroom window and the sound of a car backfiring in the street below.

She groaned and pulled her pillow over her head, feeling groggy and disoriented. She had clearly slept in much later than usual, but that was because she'd been up so late last night watching the meteor –

She gasped, lurching upright in her bed as the events of the previous night flooded her mind.

Sheldon. Sheldon was back.

Sheldon had said things to her last night that she'd been wanting to hear from him for pretty much their entire relationship.

Sheldon was asleep on her couch.

"Oh my god," she breathed, flinging her sheets off abruptly as she scrambled out of bed. She grabbed her robe from where it was draped over her vanity and shrugged it on as she headed for the bathroom.

Five minutes later, having used the restroom and brushed her teeth, she cautiously opened her bedroom door and crept down the hall toward the living room listening for any signs of life. She heard nothing. Oh god. What if he had left? What if he regretted what he'd told her last night? What if he regretted coming back at all?

Her fears were put to rest once she peeked around the corner. The man in question was sprawled on her couch with her grandmother's afghan tangled around his waist, his face slack and peaceful in sleep.

Amy leaned against the door jamb, weak with relief. He was still here.

_Get a hold of yourself, Fowler,_ Amy's inner voice chided as she retreated back down the hall to start the shower.

After she'd bathed and dressed for the day, a little more casually than usual in a pair of jeans that Penny had convinced her to buy on one of their frequent shopping trips over the summer, she returned to the living room to see if Sheldon was awake yet.

He was indeed, though he didn't appear to have been so for very long.

"Good morning, Amy," he said, his voice somewhat scratchy as he neatly folded the afghan and replaced it on the back of the couch. He blinked at her with bleary eyes. She noticed how the hair in the back of his head stuck out in every direction, and couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face. He looked so boyish. And yet… she eyed the plain t-shirt he wore in lieu of his normal pajama top, and how much of his arms it left exposed. And yet… he was very much a grown man.

"Good morning," she answered, banishing that thought for the time being. "Or should I say good afternoon?"

"Indeed," he said, with some contrition. "I just noticed the time. I apologize for taking up so much of your Saturday, Amy."

She shook her head. "I woke up not long ago myself. I was just about to make something to eat. Are you hungry? Or will you be once you've showered?"

"I imagine so. Thank you." Sheldon still looked a little embarrassed; there was a blush staining his cheeks and his eyes kept flitting over to her and then away again.

"Is everything ok?" Amy asked, after an uncomfortable pause.

"Yes," he said quickly. "You um… you look... different."

Ah, the jeans. Amy realized this was probably the first time she'd worn pants in front of him rather than a skirt or dress.

"Yes. Penny finally overhauled some of my wardrobe, with my permission of course," Amy said. "At first I was skeptical, but they are quite comfortable, and much more practical for weekend errands and lounging."

Another pause. Sheldon was still looking at her. He cleared his throat when he noticed her looking back at him. "Did you know," he began earnestly, "In 1851, Amelia Bloomer invented the earliest version of trousers worn by women in the Western world in response to an article in a medical periodical earlier that year that pointed out how harmful contemporary fashions were to women's health? Her design was really more of a dress than trousers _per se_, but it became so popular and widespread that it led to the so-called 'Bloomer Craze' of 1851 and eventually became a symbol of women's rights in the early twentieth century."

Amy couldn't help the smile that quirked up the corner of her mouth. "Interesting," she said. And then in a softer voice, "I have missed you, Sheldon. I should be angry with you. I _am _angry with you. But I've missed you. And I am… so happy you are here."

His facial expression had shifted as she spoke; when she finished he looked almost… guilty. It was a new look for him. Certainly more radical than her denim descendant of Sheldon's "bloomers."

"Amy, I realize we still have much to discuss. I would like to propose that we meet back here in half an hour, once I've completed my morning ablutions."

"Proposal accepted," she said. "I am going to prepare a late breakfast. I realize that it's French toast day, but all I have is cereal and possibly eggs."

"Cereal will be fine," he said, stooping to gather some clothing out of his duffel bag and wincing as he ran a finger over the wrinkled fabric.

"Is that all the clothing you have?" she couldn't help but ask. "You were gone for three months."

"My mother is shipping the rest of my belongings out to me," he said. "Including many of my childhood possessions. She's selling her house."

"She is?" Amy was startled by this news.

"Well, technically, the escrow process has already begun. An interested buyer approached her almost immediately after she listed the property last month, and I have spent the past several weeks with Missy and George Jr. cleaning out the basement and attic, as well as helping her make all the necessary arrangements. That is the main reason why I did not return sooner."

Interesting.

"Why is she moving?" Amy asked, watching as Sheldon slowly straightened back up with his familiar red Flash t-shirt clutched in his hands. He was slow to respond as he frowned down at his wrinkled clothing.

"We convinced her that, as a single woman of sixty, she no longer needed to be continuing upkeep on a four-bedroom, 2000 square foot house on 5.1 acres of Texas floodplain," he answered.

Amy nodded. "I have been trying to give my mother a similar argument about her home in Connecticut," she said. Then, "I am sorry about your childhood home, Sheldon."

"Why?" he asked, blunt as ever. "It is not practical for her to remain there. All of her children are grown. She has purchased a smaller property closer to my sister, so that she will be able to visit her grandson as often as she likes. It is a much improved situation."

"Of course," Amy said. "But I imagine it is difficult to say such a permanent goodbye to a setting that figured so largely in one's youth."

Sheldon sighed. He suddenly looked tired again. "This has indeed been a season of change," he said. Then, clutching his old t-shirt to his chest almost like a child would clutch a teddy bear, he edged around her and headed toward the bathroom.


	4. Chapter 4

Forty five minutes later, they had reconvened in the living room, Sheldon now wearing his Flash t-shirt and a pair of khakis as he sat in his usual spot on Amy's couch and finished his bowl of high fiber cereal.

Amy had eaten while he was in the bathroom, and now sat beside him sipping from a mug of chamomile tea.

Studying his familiar profile, observing his fastidious ways, she could almost fool herself into thinking that he had never left.

But of course, he had.

She cleared her throat, setting her tea down on a coaster on her coffee table, and turned to him.

"Sheldon," she said. "Before we continue any further, I need you to know how it's been… for me. While you were gone."

He set his cereal bowl down carefully beside her tea, keeping his eyes on his lap for a moment before he turned to look at her.

She took a deep breath.

"I'd forgotten what it was like to be alone," she began. "I'd forgotten what it was like to not have _you. _You and I had been… whatever we were… for four years. I had become so accustomed to your presence in my daily life, from your good morning texts to our lunches in my office, to dinners at your apartment and movies at mine, and all the Skype conversations and emails in between. When you disappeared, and then cut back communication between us for those first few weeks, I felt so lost. And everyone else was so wrapped up in their own lives, and with the news of Penny and Leonard getting engaged… I didn't want to bring anyone down. I felt it best to fade into the background for a while. So in a sense, I _was _alone again."

Sensing he was about to speak, she held up her hand and shook her head slightly before continuing.

"I threw myself into my work for a time, since I didn't know who I was any more without you and our friends, and the only obvious answer was that I was still a scientist. I thought maybe I could go back to that same… coldly logical, single-minded existence." She took a deep breath, and blinked back sudden tears. "But I couldn't. I didn't know how to be that person anymore. I _tried… _but that Amy was gone. She never knew friendship, or… love, and so she never knew what she was missing. But I did." A sob escaped her before she could suppress it. "_I did._"

At this, Sheldon slid off the couch and was suddenly on his knees in front of her. She wiped at her eyes impatiently with her right hand as he took her left between his own, clasping it tightly in her lap. His blue eyes were fixed on her face, and they were suspiciously shiny. She sucked in a breath at this unexpected gesture of penitence, so unlike Sheldon, but he didn't speak; he simply waited for her to continue.

Haltingly, she did.

"That night you finally called, and we talked… really talked… for the first time since you left, I felt reborn. I knew then that not only couldn't I go back, but I was going to do everything I could to keep moving forward. I agreed to give you time this summer because I knew you needed it. Your life was in upheaval, and I understood that more than anyone." She took a deep breath. "But… I told myself that when you came home, it would have to be different. I wasn't going to just accept whatever scrap of affection you were willing to dole out. I… I deserve better." She sniffed, and then raised her eyebrows at him. "From what you said last night, I believe that you might have also come to this conclusion. But, Sheldon, if you aren't _truly _ready to meet me halfway in this relationship, then we don't have anything left to discuss."

Sheldon was silent for a long moment. Finally, he squeezed her hands before letting go with one of his. "I have indeed come to that conclusion," he said. He took a breath. "Amy, I wasn't going to do this yet. I was going to wait until… well, good lord, until I was unpacked, at least. But I find myself not wanting to delay a moment longer."

Amy frowned at him, not understanding.

He licked his lips nervously, a habit she'd always found endearing. "Two weeks ago, while sorting through some of my mother's things, Missy and I found a box in the back of her closet containing many trinkets and mementos that had belonged to her mother, my grandmother Marie, who passed away when I was just a baby. My mother, of course, took the opportunity not only to regale us with tales of what she no doubt considered my grandmother's folksy backwoods charm… but also to allocate certain items from her belongings." He paused. "She gave me this."

His left hand, which had been hovering at his side, now slid into his pocket and produced a faded gray jewelry box.

Amy's eyes flashed to Sheldon's and back down to the box.

He cleared his throat. "Understand that… given recent discussions I had had with my mother about you, this offering on her part was not entirely unprecedented."

Amy felt her heart pounding in her chest. She stared wide-eyed at Sheldon, who was now looking rather pale… but determined.

He straightened his shoulders, exhaling and murmuring something under his breath that sounded like _hoo boy._

"Amy Farrah Fowler," he finally said, lifting unwavering eyes to meet hers, "I missed you profoundly this summer. I desperately missed our conversations. I came to the realization that I want to be able to talk with you every day for the rest of my life." He took a deep breath. "By extension, I have also come to the realization that I am very much in love with you. I did not think myself capable of such an emotion, but there is no other explanation for the way that I feel about you. Moreover, this realization makes me… happy."

He sounded surprised even as he said it, like the idea was new to him as well.

Amy could do nothing but stare at him, mouth slightly open as a jumble of emotions swept through her.

"I came back because I _am_ ready to move forward. With my career, but more importantly, with you. I want our relationship to be… more. I want to kiss you again, Amy. I want to kiss you _right now." _He exhaled shakily."Forgive me. I'm getting ahead of myself –"

Amy cut him off, launching herself at him and throwing her arms around his neck. Her lips met his clumsily, and Sheldon made a surprised noise and lost his balance briefly before he caught himself. His arms came around her slowly at first, but soon he was holding her tightly as he kissed her back with increasing urgency.

She tore herself away after a blissful minute, remembering the small box that Sheldon had clasped in his hand and held against her back even now.

"Sorry," she breathed. "I couldn't help myself."

He wore a slightly dazed expression, and shook his head slightly as if to clear it.

"Umm," he stuttered. "Where was I?... Oh, yes. On the subject of moving forward." He met her gaze determinedly. "Amy, I believe I would like to once again alter the paradigm of our relationship."


	5. Chapter 5

It was early evening, now, and Amy lay on her sofa watching shadows stretch across her living room rug toward the door to her apartment.

The door that he'd departed through several hours before.

She'd collapsed here not long after he'd left, and hadn't really moved much since. Her apartment was so silent and still that she could hear the tick of the clock in her bedroom, but she had no interest in alleviating the silence with anything as prosaic as television or the radio right now. Even her harp held no appeal.

Her phone buzzed again in her lap, and she eyed it before swiping her thumb along the bottom of the screen.

Another message from Penny. Of course. Her bestie was becoming increasingly insistent.

_Ames_, _where the hell are you? Did you know about this?_

_This_, of course, referred to Sheldon's surprise homecoming. He must have shocked the hell out of them showing up at the apartment earlier. Penny had been trying to contact her for over an hour now.

Amy knew she should respond to her friend, but she wasn't ready to talk to anyone just yet. She wanted to keep to herself for just a little bit longer.

Her phone buzzed again, and she flicked her eyes down to the screen, still lit up from Penny's text.

_Hello Amy. _

She snatched it up, biting her lip.

_Hello Sheldon_, she typed in after a moment.

A blinking ellipses indicated he was typing a response.

_My homecoming is apparently cause for a celebratory meal. Would you like to join us?_

Amy hesitated. She wasn't sure if she would be able to hold it together being around Sheldon and everyone else.

Her phone buzzed again.

_I would very much like to see you this prevening._

Amy exhaled shakily and tapped out her response.

_Yes. I will be there in half an hour._

Her evening of reflection apparently over, Amy sprang into motion, freshening up in her bathroom and then bustling around her apartment with nervous energy. Catching sight of herself in her bedroom mirror, she paused and eyed herself critically. She was still wearing her outfit from earlier, jeans and a white knit top, and her hair was mussed from letting it air dry after her shower. She didn't look any different than the Amy Farrah Fowler who had gotten dressed in front of this mirror yesterday, but she felt like she'd lived years rather than hours since. Had it really only been last night that she stood alone on the rooftop watching the stars?

Sheldon was home. He'd finally admitted his feelings for her.

And he'd asked her to marry him.

Amy realized she was smiling inanely at her reflection in the mirror; a wide, joyful smile that seemed alien to her.

She drifted over to the jewelry box still resting on her vanity, and took out the ring it held. It had to be sized, so Sheldon had returned it to the box after his proposal, with the promise that he would take it to the jeweler later in the week. But Amy hadn't been quite able to part with it yet, so she'd insisted he leave it with her for the night. He'd rolled his eyes somewhat good-naturedly, but agreed.

It was a beautiful diamond ring, simple and understated in its elegance. Sheldon's grandfather had proposed to his grandmother with this ring just before he shipped off to the South Pacific, and she'd worn it every day until she died nearly forty years later, or so Sheldon had told Amy once he'd slipped it on her own finger that afternoon.

Amy felt happy tears welling up in her eyes at the memory, and slid the ring onto her finger again to admire it briefly against her pale flesh. Then, catching a glimpse of the clock on her nightstand, she reluctantly put it back, slipped a colorful cardigan on, and set out to 2311 Los Robles.


	6. Chapter 6

As she'd expected, everyone was already gathered around the coffee table when she arrived. Leonard opened the door with a wide grin, and the tableau over his shoulder was so familiar that she felt another lump in her throat.

"Hey!" he said happily, and pulled her into a hug.

She blinked in surprise as she hugged him back. She and Leonard had grown somewhat closer in Sheldon's absence – they'd spent more than a few nights exchanging both worries and words of comfort – but the hug was a bit out of left field. She wondered if he'd been drinking.

Her eyes met Sheldon's over Leonard's shoulder. He was smiling at her, a small warm smile that he seemed to reserve only for her. (And koalas. And trains.) She smiled back despite her puzzlement, and squeezed Leonard briefly before pulling away.

"Hello Leonard," she said, and then looked to the others. "Hello everyone."

"Amy Farrah Fowler!" Penny looked annoyed. She set down her wine glass, stood up and made her way over. "I've been calling and texting you for hours. Sheldon sends you one text and here you are. What the hell?"

"Sorry bestie. I had a lot on my mind."

"Hmph." Penny didn't seem at all impressed by that admittedly vague explanation, and then her gaze grew calculating as she studied her friend closely. Amy quickly gave her an apologetic smile and then moved past her to join the others before the interrogation began.

"Amy!" Bernadette scooted over and patted the cushion between her and Sheldon eagerly. "You must be so happy."

Amy beamed back at her as she sat down. "Yes, of course."

"Sheldon said he surprised you last night," Bernadette continued, obviously fishing for information.

"Indeed." Amy realized she was still smiling widely, and attempted to school her expression into something more subtle. "As I am sure he surprised all of you today." She turned to give him a tiny smile and found him studying her.

Leonard launched into his version of Sheldon's surprise homecoming, but Amy found herself tuning him out as she met Sheldon's gaze. After a minute, he surprised her by reaching out to take her hand. Her stomach quivered at this unexpected gesture; despite his earlier amorous behavior, he had never been one for public displays of affection, and she hadn't really expected that to change.

She finally tore her eyes away from her boyfriend's - no, now _fiancé's_ – when she realized that Leonard's voice had trailed off. Turning, she realized that everyone was now staring at their joined hands on Amy's knee.

Sheldon seemed to realize this at the same moment, and she felt him stiffen on the couch beside her as he squeezed her hand. He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows back at them.

"Is something wrong?" he said pointedly.

"No! No, nothing's wrong," Leonard said hastily. He met his friend's eyes and then broke into a grin. "Nothing at all."

Amy couldn't help but be amused. If everyone was this taken aback at just the hand holding, she couldn't imagine their response once they learned of their engagement. She and Sheldon had agreed to keep it to themselves until he had informed his mother and grandmother and had a chance to settle back into his life in California.

"Oh, come off it, Sheldon," Penny's voice broke into her musings. "You're groping your girlfriend's leg like it's no big deal, just like you walked back in here today like it's no big deal. You've put on about fifteen pounds, you haven't shaved, you look like you missed your last _couple _haircuts, and I've never seen you smile so much in the entire time I've known you. And you refuse to tell us anything except that you were in Texas, which we already knew!"

Sheldon gave a long suffering sigh. "I haven't shaved since yesterday morning because I've been traveling; I missed_ one_ haircut because I do not care for my childhood barber's replacement in Houston; and the regrettable weight gain is due to my mother's incessant need to chicken fry everything. Thank you for pointing it out, by the way," he finished sarcastically.

Penny raised a sarcastic eyebrow back at him. "And the groping?"

"I am not _groping_ Amy," he retorted. "I am merely holding her hand. As you might imagine, I… missed her a great deal," here he lowered his eyes to his lap and actually blushed slightly.

"Dude, that is so sweet," Raj said, in concert with Bernadette's high pitched "Aww!"

"Speaking of, how was your reunion last night?" Howard waggled his eyebrows at them.

"That is none of your business," Amy finally interjected, her tone brooking no argument.

"Indeed," Sheldon said, and frowned at them. "Now can we move on to a less intrusive topic? Like dinner?"

Penny narrowed her eyes at him. "For now," she said. "Don't think you're getting off too easily, Moon Pie."

Sheldon glared at her again.

Leonard shook his head, smiling again. "Well, we're just happy to have you back, buddy," he said. "Even if you're not quite the _you _we remember…"

"That sentence was a grammatical nightmare, Leonard," Sheldon sighed.

But he smiled back.


End file.
